Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board : The act creating the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board (38 Eliz. II, c. 3) was assented to on June 29, 1989, and enacted on March 29, 1990. The Board is known by its short title, Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).
The creation of the TSB is the outcome of a trend, common to several countries, to give responsibility for transportation safety, particularly air transportation, to an independent tribunal with no ties to any government department.
Prior to 1979, a number of bills had been put before the government advocating the creation of an independent agency for aviation safety. In 1979, a bill was tabled for the establishment of an independent agency for intermodal safety. This bill died on the order paper. That same year, however, the Dubin Commission was charged with investigating aviation safety in Canada. The Dubin Report, tabled in 1981, recommended the establishment of an independent aviation safety board.
In accordance with the recommendations of the Dubin Commission, Bill C-163 establishing the Canadian Aviation Safety Board was enacted on April 18, 1984. Essentially, it gave the Board the mandate of identifying weaknesses in aviation safety and investigating air safety occurrences. This body reported to the Minister of Transport. It took over the functions which had previously devolved to the Aviation Safety Bureau of Transport Canada and the Aircraft Accident Review Board (AARB). The authorization to create the Board derives from paragraph b of Cabinet Decision No. 190-75 RD(c) of April 17, 1975, but it did not undertake its activities until March 1, 1976. The Board's mandate was to conduct an objective and independent review of the investigations carried out by the Aviation Safety Bureau of Transport Canada.
A few years later, thought was given to setting up a similar board for the other modes of transportation, leading to the creation of the TSB, in 1990. To the responsibilities for air safety were added those for rail transportation, marine transportation and pipelines. This body was created by merging the Aviation Safety Bureau, the Railway/Pipeline Investigations Directorate of the National Transportation Agency, and the Marine Casualty Investigations Directorate of Transport Canada. Virtually all personnel, equipment and documentation of these agencies were transferred over to the new board.
The mission of the TSB is essentially to promote air, rail, marine and pipeline transportation safety. To fulfil its mandate, the TSB conducts independent and, if necessary, public inquiries into transportation accidents to determine their causes and factors. It publishes reports of its investigations, public and otherwise. It notes shortcomings in the area of safety brought to light by accident investigations. It makes recommendations on ways of eliminating or reducing these shortcomings by conducting inquiries and special studies on transportation safety.
The TSB is an independent and financially autonomous investigative body. It reports to Parliament through the President of the Privy Council. The TSB is made up of the president and six members. It comprises the Office of the Executive Director, the Investigations Branch (with six regional offices), the Engineering Branch, the Medicine Branch, the Programs Branch and the Administration Branch.
